The Beginning
by BlackRookA8
Summary: Basically, this is a story about Severus' life at home, and will probably contain little to no Hogwarts in it. It's a little AU, because it involves a sibling. Rated T for future chapters. This is my first fic in a while, so please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Quick author's note: Yeah, I don't own any of this. I think we should all know who does. Ahhh, I would love it if you R&R'd, but like I said, this is my first fanfic in ages. Updates may be a little slow, cause I'm a sophomore in highschool, what can I say, I'm busy. But I hope you enjoy it!

It was a calm Christmas night in the year of 1966. A blanket of snow had surrounded the quaint cottage, and there was chill in the cold night air. Inside the little home were four figures, seated at a small table that was simply covered in food. A turkey here, potatoes there—it was a nice Christmas dinner.

But something in the air wasn't right. It was a different sort of chill than what was outside; it was the suggestion that the worst was inevitable tonight, despite the fact that it was supposed to be a happy occasion. Instead of joy, an awkward sense surrounded the dining room, and in place of excitement, dread could be seen in the two children's eyes. The mother, who ate nervously and carefully, every so often stole glances from the children, but that was all that was said by them.

The father, Tobias Snape, let out a few grunting noises every so often, but that was generally it. "You didn't manage to fuck up this time, Eileen," Tobias "complimented" his wife, on the Christmas dinner. When nothing was said in return, he turned his constant glare back over to his wife. "Is there anything you'd like to say?" He said through his crooked, yellow teeth.

"Thank you," The sullen woman, Eileen Snape, replied, and she cut a small piece of turkey off of the sliver on her plate, covered in gravy. When he seemed satisfied with the answer, she turned back to her slow eating, and she closed her eyes, hoping this Christmas was more satisfying, at least for her two children.

"Mum," Said one of them, the male, and he looked over to Eileen. "Might I be excused?" The eight-year-old asked. He looked remarkably like his mother, with his sullen and pallid face. His hair, slightly greasy, barely made his way past his ears, and he looked up to her.

"Severus," Eileen reprimanded gently. "You haven't touched your peas. You know you can't be excused until you've eaten your vegetables." She had a kindness in her eyes Tobias obviously lacked.

"But mum—!"

Tobias' fists slammed down on the table, apparently tired of hearing his son's pre-pubescent voice ring in his ears. "Severus!" He growled, making the younger girl tremble. "Your mother said to eat your damn peas, did she not?!" He yelled, spit flying onto the butter.

"Tobias," Eileen gently said, her soft eyes looking to sooth the savage beast, but their two children knew that was an impossibly task. "Please, don't swear at the children, it's just not--!" She stopped instantly when she felt the large hand of her husband across her cheek, and she let out a tiny gasp.

"Don't you try to tell me how to parent!" Tobias yelled, the liquor getting to him, finally. The younger girl, about five, began to cry gently at his yelling. He looked to the two of them clenching his jaw to keep himself from hitting one of them just yet. "Both of you, out!" He barked, and the two kids rose up instantly, headed up the creaking, ancient stairs, and into Severus' bedroom.

As the screams of their mother filled the whole house, both Severus and his younger sister sat huddled on his sad excuse for a bed. Severus clamped his hands on his little sister's ears as she cried into his chest. It was then that Severus refused to expect a proper Christmas, from then on.


	2. Chapter 2

((Ooh yeah, I don't own any of this. Except Antigone, she is mine. And that neato wand. And sorry this took so long…my teachers are becoming project-happy, not to mention I was out of town for a while. Enjoy!))

Severus Snape grumbled at his reflection. Today was the first day he was to venture off to Hogwarts, much to his father's disapproval. His attempts to beat the magic out of him at an early age were faulty, and he'd received his own owl. His mother and him had to sneak out to get his supplies, while their father was at work.

He was about to leave when he saw a little girl standing in the doorway. "Do you really have to go?" She asked, and she shuffled her Mary Jane-covered shoes, looking down to the ground. Antigone Snape had grown a lot since that one Christmas night, more mentally than physically. She'd realized that despite the fact that she loved her father, she didn't like him at all. He was a bad person, and he hurt everyone around her.

Severus cracked a tiny smile down at his sister, and he put a hand on her shoulder before he knelt down to her level. He looked direction in the eight-year-old's eyes, pulling her head up by her chin gently. "I have to go," He said with a soft sigh to her. "But you'll be alright without me, I know you will. I'll be back for Christmas, too…promise I'll come back. And hey…follow me." He rose up, and led her to his room.

Surprisingly enough, Severus took the role of big brother very serious. There was no way to save his mother from the hands of his father. But Antigone…he could save and protect her. He almost refused to go to Hogwarts at first, just to keep an eye on her. But he was doubtful that his father was that cowardice to punish an eight-year-old girl the way he did his wife and his son. She was different, after all. She just wasn't strong enough to hold her own.

He went through his trunk, and he pulled out a seemingly normal looking wand. "Watch," Severus said with a smile, and he waved it to where flowers came bursting out of the end. It was just a cheap toy wand, but he was sure it would make her feel better. "It's a different flower each time," He explained to her, and he waved it once more. What once were tulips now were pansies. He did it a couple more times before he finally managed to see a smile across her pink lips. "I got you some candy, too, here…" He continued, and he offered her a little bag of sweets. "But you can't tell dad, remember?"

Antigone thanked him quietly, and then took the wand. "I'm gonna miss you," She admitted when she then heard her mother call Severus down, to go to London. "I'll ask mummy to send off letters from me," She said with a smile to him. Surprisingly enough, no tears fell from their eyes. As they looked at each other, they had a mutual agreement. Crying was a sign of weakness, and besides, it was understood that they both would miss each other greatly.

He rose up, ruffled her raven black hair a bit, and dragged his trunk down the rickety old stairs for the first time, a look of curiosity and dread on his face. Antigone stood to watch him go off with a shaky sigh before she retired to her room, to amuse herself with the wand.

Snow fell once more at the Snape house, and father and daughter sat in the living room, waiting for the door to come open. Tobias seemed more interested in his nail beds than anything else in the room at the time, but Antigone had a look of complete anxiety. She just could not wait to see her brother, and have him tell her all the great things he would have learned.

Finally, the door opened, and mother and son walked in. While Eileen greeted her husband and daughter with a smile and a kiss, Severus ignored everyone and sauntered up the steps. He had a very different look in his eyes than Antigone remember, but she decided that maybe he was just tired. She jumped up from her seat, and ran up to his room, adjusting her skirt. "Severus!" She said with a wide smile, and she entered.

He looked up with a sigh. "Hey…" He managed, and that was it. He was miserable at Hogwarts. Those boys, those horrid, evil boys would not stop torturing him. They laughed whenever he would speak, they'd hex him every time their paths crossed—and what was worse was that they seemed to know what they doing. He couldn't one up them, no matter how much he knew. He had decided on the train ride back to London that this winter holiday would be used for study, for revenge.

Antigone watched him look over a few books in their little library a week later. He was surrounded by books their mother had owned but had tucked away in boxes, but which Severus had found. They were musty, and some were pretty curious, with different designs on them. "What're you reading?" She asked him, and she sat down on the coffee table in front of him.

He looked up at her for but a split second before he let out a gentle, patient sigh. "I'm reading a book about hexes, Antigone," He said with a nod, and he flipped a page, writing something down on a piece of parchment paper right next to him. "And you know mum wouldn't like you sitting on the table like that. Go get a chair or something."

She frowned, but did so. From behind, she pushed an armchair up next to him, and she plopped on it. "Severus," She said to him. "You're going back real soon, and I was wondering if you wanted to go to the lake with me…y'know, like we used to all the time," Antigone asked. Indeed, there was a nice little pond down the road of them about a half of a mile, which, at this time of the year, was covered in ice. "Mum still has your ice skates."

Severus let out another patient sigh. "I don't have time. I have to read through these before I go. Listen, Antigone, why don't you go and play or something? You're brother's busy." He didn't see the look of abandonment on her face as she rose up, sauntering out of the room. All he cared about was learning, getting better than the likes of Potter and Black. He had to, for his survival.


End file.
